A Time for Change
by sittingatlukes
Summary: This story follows Rory and Finn after they bump into each other at a Yale even, several months after Rory has said goodbye to the boys of the Life and Death Brigade. Neither one has heard anything from Logan since, and they start a friendship that has the potential of changing into something bigger and changing both of their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

The brunette frowned as she drove slowly onto the college campus that held so many memories - both good and bad- for her. Yale University was not only the school where she had earned her degree, but also where she had earned her courage and a few scars for the trouble. As she pulled through the winding campus roads she wondered if coming here had even been a good choice. The annual Yale alumnus weekend was kicking off in just under an hour, and Rory after much debate had agreed to Paris' pleas for her to join in on the festivities. Now that she was actually at the school, she was having serious doubts that this would be as fun as Paris had made it out to be.

As Rory pulled her car into an empty parking spot she turned the engine off and sighed in the reflection that stared back at her in the rearview mirror. Just being back on campus was making her feel old. She hadn't made that many trips back to her alma mater since graduating at the head of her class, but each time she did she found herself filled with a strange mixture of emotions. She also found herself always expecting the blonde from her past to pop up or come around a corner. She knew the likliehood of that happeneing was not very high but in her current state she wasn't sure if she wanted to face him.

Actually as she got out of the car, she wasn't sure she wanted to face anyone that she was about to see. Although other than Paris and Doyle, she wasn't exactly sure who else would show up for the weekend that according to the flyer and emails was going to be packed with festivities. These reservations had mostly to do with the fact that she was nearing five months pregnant, and Paris was the only one of her Yale friends that knew. Actually she was one of a very small group who knew she was expecting. Shrugging she tossed her keys in her oversized purse, slung it over her shoulder and pulled at her sweater, making sure it was doing it's job of covering her expanding waistline.

As she tried to clear her head of all the thoughts that she had been preoccupied just seconds before she followed the signs and balloons to the cafeteria where everything was supposed to start. Lost in her own little world she almost ran into a thin sharply dressed man.

"Oi, I'm sorry love." came the all too familiar accent, yet somehow the fact that she was hearing it was a shock to her system. It took her several seconds to regain her composure as she looekd up into the dark eyes of the man she hadn't seen in months.

"Finn!" was all she could squeak out.

"In the flesh." He replied, the ever present exotic twinge apparent in his words. Opening his arms he grinned. "Well c'mere and give me a hug."

Rory hesitated. Which Finn caught on to right away and laughed. "Love, just because you and Logan are at odds, doesn't mean we have to be."

Deciding that was good enough logic for her, Rory offered a smile and then stepped into the hug. "What are you doing here?" She asked a few seconds later after they broke apart.

"Well kitten, I did go to school here." he responded, amused by her question.

"Well...I know that. I just..." She fumbled her words, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. When she recovered, she continued. "This isn't exactly your scene."

"Free food, and drinks? Why wouldn't I come?" Finn responded. "The last few months have been kind of soul searching, and I guess you could say I've turned over a new leaf." A small smirk spread across his face.

"A whole new Finn? Hmm, intriguing." Rory joked, trying to keep the conversation light, even though in the back of her mind she was wondering if Logan was going to show up as well. Deciding she needed to know instead of just stressing about if and when the blonde billionaire was going to show up she asked. "Is Logan going to be here?"

Finn ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't talked to him since shortly after the last time I saw you. When he didn't do whateveer he had to do to keep you around, or make things right I just couldn't be around him anymore. Any respect I had for him kind of faded."

Rory was shocked to hear what Finn had just said. It caught her completely off guard and she found herself just staring at the handsome dark haired man in front of her. "I didnt..." She paused. "Uhhh" Another pause. "I didn't know you felt that strongly about what happened."

Finn blushed just slightly before responding to Rory. "Well he always whined to us about how much you meant to him, and then treated you like absolute shit for years. I never agreed with that, but you were still around so I thought maybe there was something I was missing. But then just pushing you aside to follow his daddy down the path and the whole fabricated marriage...It was too much."

"Well thanks Finn."

Finn nodded before looking around, "If he shows up, I'll defned your honor." He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rory laughed. "How sweet of you. I just...I hope he doesn't show up." Seeing Finn and hearing the way he was talking about what had happened between her and Logan almost made her want to tell him the secret she was desperate to hide. But as she pondered it, biting her lip she decided now wasn't probably the best time or place if she did decide to do so.

They stood in silence for several seconds before Finn extended his arm and smiled. "Do me the pleasure of allowing me to be your escort for the festivities?"

Rory took his arm and laughed. "Of course. Although you do know this means you will have to see Paris."

Finn started towards the building with Rory in tow and smiled. "I think I survive. Plus it's worth it to see you again."

Rory felt a strange little flutter inside her, unsure if it was the baby, or hearing something come from Finn's mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory allowed herself to be escorted into the midst of excitemnet currently taking place in the Yale Cafeteria. Almost as soon as the duo stepped into the cool, dimly lit and modestly decorated caf, the blonde with sharp heels and an attitude to match was in front of them. With an arched eyebrow Paris looked at Rory and asked.

"I knew you were desperate, but I didn't know you had taken to slumming around with his friends."

"I'd take offense to that if it were coming from someone who's opinion mattered to me."

Rory bit back a chuckle as she heard what Finn said to Paris. It was rare someone stood up to the feisty blonde, even after all this time and the fact that Finn did made her a weird sort of happy.

"Well, at least he has the accent going for him." Paris said with a slight nod. "No billionaire playboy tonight?" Paris asked.

Rory frowned and shook her head. "You know that I haven't spoken to Logan in months."

After a few more minutes of chit chat, the blonde excused herself to wrangle her and Doyle's kids. Or at least that was her excuse. It was more likely that she was off to boss her husband around. He had moved back in to the couple's house and they were trying again, which meant he was letting her boss him around even more than usual.

Finn ever the alcohol hound had sniffed out the open bar and with a smile he nodded in the direction and then looked down at Rory. "What can I get you kitten?"

Rory shook her head and offered a weird lopsided smile before responding. " Just a ginger ale, please."

Finn pondered her odd drink choice for a couple seconds before shrugging and heading over to get their drinks. Rory glanced around at the various groups of people who were mingling amongst the tables loaded down with food, pictures and other things from years and years of students attending Yale. She quickly scanned the many faces, instictively looking for the familiar blonde locks, and chisled features. She knew this wasn't his scene, and after the last time they parted ways she was sure he wouldn't show his face here. But he was a Huntzburger and they were sometimes full of surprises.

Finn nudged her and handed over her drink, pulling her out of her train of thought. She took a small sip from the plastic party glass in her hand, thanked Finn and together they wandered through clusters of people to find a table, stopping every once in awhile to say hi to people one or both of them recognized from when they were students at Yale. It didn't surprise Rory one bit that most of the people that stopped Finn to say hello to him were female.

"So what else has happened since the last time we saw each other?" Finn asked after they settled as comfortably they could into

This question caused the brunette to bite her lip nervously. A habit that she had carried with her her whole life. She both wanted and dreaded telling Finn the biggest thing that had changed since the time they had seen each other. She wanted someone else to know what was going on, that she was carrying the Huntzburger heir. But somewhere in the back of her mind a red flag was waving reminding her that regardless of if Finn still spoke to Logan, he was still his friend before hers, and surely they still kept in touch with the rest of the guys from the Life and Death Brigade. The last thing Rory needed or wanted was something slipping from Finn's mouth to one of the other boys and then it getting slipped to Logan. She knew he deserved to know, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him, not quite yet anyway. She took a deep breath before responding to Finn.

"I'm fi-" she started before decided to just take the chance and tell him. "I'm pregnant." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Finn stared at the brunette for several long seconds, his face just about expressionless, before he nodded. "Does he know?"

Rory shook her head softly. "No. I haven't spoken to him. I haven't had a reason to yet, other than the obvious. But I just dont know what to say or what to do." She hadn't been aware that her emotions were going to come out quite like that in front of Finn. All of a sudden tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh kitten don't cry. It's okay. You are the one who has to decide when the time is right to tell him, or not to tell him." He said softly. Finn was trying his best to not show his surprise. Sure he had always thought that Logan would impregnante someone, but not under these circumstances or with a girl like Rory. She deserved so much more, and now she was stuck in a spot that would be hard for anyone.

"I just, I don't want the baby to grow up without a dad. But Logan isn't exactly the dad type and who knows what he's going to say when he does find out." Slow fat tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked down at her drink and then back up at Finn.

Finn glanced around, looking for the closest door leading out of the room. It was clear that Rory didn't need to be in a noisy mess hall surrounded by people. He located one, that was away from the larger groups of people. After finishing his drink, he stood and extended his hand. "Come on love, lets go outside. Take a walk or something."

Rory hesitated for just a second before standing, taking Finn's hand and following him.

After a few moments, the duo had wound through the clumps of chit chatting alumni and ended up in the hallway. Another minute after that they were outside on campus and Finn stood there inches away from Rory looking at her. Unsure of what to say to make it better, he extended his arms and pulled her into a hug as she let the tears go that she had been keeping pent since she had first found out she was pregnant.

"I haven't accomplished anything that I set out to do after I left Yale. I didn't finish a book. I got the manuscript ready and it hasn't been published yet. I haven't gotten married. I turned down Logan before graduation. I got pregnant with his kid, knowing that we will never be together. I didn't plan on having kids, soon or ever." The tears got heavier and she felt increasingly silly for breaking down in front of Finn.

Finn wrapped his arms around her tighter, trying to calm her down. "It's going to be okay Rory. I promise. Let it all out. Then we can talk."


End file.
